Cryptocurrency exchange OKX has acquired fresh capital as it aims to transition from a digital asset trading hub into a broader global financial technology ecosystem encompassing crypto, payments, and traditional assets shifting onto blockchain infrastructure.
The newly joined backers include Circle, Ripple, systemic quantitative trading firm Qube Research & Technologies (QRT), and SC Ventures, which is the venture capital arm of Standard Chartered. The specific financial figures of the investment were not revealed by OKX.
This recent cash infusion acts as an extension of a March funding round led by the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent organization of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Similar to that prior transaction, this latest injection values OKX at $25 billion on a pre-money basis.
“The exchange was our starting point, and we are evolving into a broader global financial technology platform,” stated Star Xu, the founder and chief executive officer of OKX. The enterprise emphasizes that its ultimate objective is enabling users to hold, spend, invest, and compound their wealth through a single unified portal.
This ambition mirrors a broader industry transformation among digital asset exchanges. Platforms that initially established their business models primarily around cryptocurrency trading are striving to morph into comprehensive financial hubs, branching out into payments, stablecoins, equities, derivatives, and tokenized real-world assets.
Read more: Originally published at https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/10/06/okx-draws-investment-from-stanchart-circle-ripple-as-it-pushes-beyond-crypto-exchange-roots.
